


Dear Robert Gray... Fuck you

by WillianHarrienEvangelly



Category: IT (1990), IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:34:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26768851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillianHarrienEvangelly/pseuds/WillianHarrienEvangelly
Summary: Bill Denbrough begins investigating a mysterious man.But Bill Denbrough is playing with fire and he will know the hard way that Robert Gray is a dangerous man.It's going to be a fight of wills between a psychopathic serial killer and an audacious teenager.Who will be the first to break and fall?
Relationships: Bill Denbrough & Pennywise, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

_'Dear Robert Gray ..._

_Fuck you ...'_

The wind against his face just wanted to say one thing. One thing ...

He was a few feet from freedom and he was already smiling with the hope that he would come home.

An engine roar echoed down Neibolt Street and he, for a moment, thought it was someone other than Robert fucking Gray but he was wrong when he instinctively looked over his shoulder and saw ...

The black bentley ...

ONE YEAR, THREE MONTHS AND NINE DAYS BEFORE

William Denbrough wakes up breathless after another nightmare.

The strangest nightmare he ever had, to tell you the truth.

He dreamed of an alien clown from the sewers, and that he and his friends had the "mission" to defeat him, which took him 27 years in the dream.

He almost laughed at the fucked up dream but he couldn't, because he remembered that Georgie was still missing as were many children.

He has made progress, more than the police have ever made.

He took out his cell phone, his backpack, dressed in some flannel shirt that was lying on the chair and some jeans.

He left the house in a hurry and ran to Silver pedaling to Barrens.

He met Ben and Richie on the way and accompanied them to compare some snacks for the whole group to eat.

They left the store loaded up and Richie told some joke that made Bill and Ben laugh and Bill hit someone.

"I-I'm sorry." Bill stammered looking at the man who looked at him with little patience with his green eyes with a strange amber glow.

The man was tall, very tall, probably six feet tall, probably. Dark brown hair well groomed as well as your clothes always impeccable.

Bill knew he was a lonely man. It was not the first time that I had seen him walking around the city. He didn't know his name but it didn't give him much interest to know anyway.

The man mumbled something that Bill didn't notice and Bill just shrugged and went after Ben and Richie.

Ben was licking a lollipop and Richie made a comment about sucking that made Ben look the same color as Bill's red hair.

Along the way, Bill thought of his brother, Georgie.

It was the second time Georgie had disappeared.

The first time, Georgie was playing with a paper boat made by Bill, who was at home pretending to be sick just because he was too lazy to play with him.

Bill was 12 at the time. It was normal for a preteen to have little patience for younger siblings. Generally, Bill did his best to play with Georgie but that day he woke up very lazily and it was raining which took away the patience to play with his brother.

Georgie was found playing with a dog in the Barrens.

The little boy said that his paper boat fell into a sewer opening and he also said that Zach Denbrough, his father, told him, once, that everything that fell into that opening would end up in Barrens.

So Georgie ran to Barrens and ended up finding a dog and spent the rest of the day playing with him.

Zach and Sharon were very concerned, and did not rest until one of the officers found Georgie.

A big scare for the Denbroughs but at least, nothing bad had happened.

The second time Georgie disappeared ... he never came back.

Four years after the dog prank, Georgie went to a classmate's birthday party, Dorsey Corcoran, Bill remembers.

He never came back.

Bill is the only one who is still looking for him.

His rational part is almost certain that Georgie is dead, but his emotional part still has minimal hope.

Honestly, he doesn't expect to take Georgie home, he just hopes to find out who is responsible for his disappearance.

He was taken out of his thoughts by Richie, who flicks him on the forehead.

" Land for Big Bill! Haystack, I think we lost him." with that phrase, Bill punches Richie's arm lightly "Damn it, Billiam, you didn't hear anything I said. I was saying that guy, Robert Gray, must be a child rapist."

Ben shook his head while Bill is simply confused and asks for an explanation with just a look.

"Richie is saying this because Mr. Gray is one of those clowns at the children's birthday parties and you know that Richie is afraid of clowns."

Richie looks indignantly at Ben.

"I'm not afraid, I just don't like them." Richie mumbles and Ben just ignores shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"T-this is ve-very s-stupid, Richie. Yo-you ca-can't a-accuse anyone without proof."

Richie shakes his head, sighs and pushes his glasses with his finger.

"I thought you were smarter than that, Big Bill. You don't understand? I already have enough evidence. The guy is a clown, however, he is extremely arrogant and unsympathetic and everyone in the city knows this, they only hire him because he is the cheapest in town. And guess what ... He was invited to Dorsey Corcoran's birthday party ..."

Ben looks immediately from Richie to Bill, who's eyes are wide and strangely pale.

" E-even th-that yo-you can't acc-acc-accuse wi-without re-real proofs." the stutter got worse and Bill sighed feeling ashamed of himself.

Richie muttered something like 'don't say I didn't warn you, later' and the three went to the Barrens.

The afternoon was spent in joy. Richie kept flirting with Eddie, receiving insults, punches and a flushed Eddie in return, Stan and Ben watching birds and commenting on them.

Bill and Bev smoking and talking something random with Mike.

Bill was in love with Mike, and he was pretty sure that Mike knew until that day. This afternoon, any doubts he might have had disappeared as soon as Mike's hands touched his and Mike's fingers caressed the back of Bill's hand.

Or when Bill felt Mike's hand on his thigh, moving up and down.

At such times, Bill blushed like a tomato and luckily only Mike noticed because the older boy chuckled.

Everyone started to leave when the sun started to disappear, replaced by the moon.

Bev and Eddie are the first to leave the site, Bev's abusive father and Eddie's crazy mother must already be prepared with the absence of their children.

Stan, Ben and Richie are the next to come home. They don't have psychotic parents but they still have worried parents, leaving Bill and Mike alone.

Mike's grandfather was happy because his grandson finally had friends and he didn't care if Mike was a little late.

They talk some more, laughing at some silly stuff until Mike stops and enjoys Bill laughing.

"You know ... You don't know how to hide anything. You suck at hiding emotions." Mike speaks and smiles at the shorter boy.

Bill doesn't understand what Mike means, and he tilted his head, like a puppy.

Mike smiles at that cuteness, and squeezes Bill's cheeks.

" I know you're falling for me, baby boy."

Bill winced in surprise when he heard the nickname and blushed.

"I..."

"Don't talk, I'm not done yet ... You know what? I'm also in love with you."

Bill's eyes widen in surprise but he is very happy to know and wishes it is not a dream.

Bill opens his mouth to speak when Mike comes closer.

"I've been in love with you since you threw that rock at Bowers." Mike's soft hands hold Bill's face fondly.

Bill laughs.

"I didn’t know if I was going to hit it."

They both laughed and Mike pulled Bill's face closer, their noses touching as they both looked into each other's eyes.

Mike's chocolate-colored eyes shone brightly under the stars and Bill felt the butterflies in his belly grow even more agitated.

The shorter man's hands landed on Mike's broad shoulders, when Mike finally closes the little space between them with a kiss that Bill immediately responds to.

After a few kisses, the two have to go home. Bill is not in a hurry, his parents were not waiting for him, he is sure of that, so Mike goes on his way towards the Hanlon farm and Bill walks slowly through the Barrens towards the main road.

He put on a headset and put on a random playlist.

"Milk and cookies" by Melanie Martinez started playing and Bill hummed the song until he heard a scream.

Startled, he looks everywhere, slowly, took off the phone and turned the music down to zero.

He did not dare to turn on the flashlight, he could be seen.

However, he also couldn't be standing there.

For a few long minutes, Bill only heard the silence, the sound of an owl and the beat of his own heart, not even his breath could hear.

The second scream sent a chill down Bill's spine, he looked around for a hiding place, his only option was a large, old tree. If he walked slowly to the tree and sat down without moving, he would have a chance of not being seen but he preferred not to risk it.

A little further away was a rock, that was his only chance, and the safest.

The third scream was longer and allowed Bill to run a few steps safely towards the cliff.

The following screams were followed and were approaching, Bill ran the rest of the way to the rock and cringed as much as possible.

He tried to control his breathing, which began to accelerate after the second scream.

This time, he could hear desperate sobs and moans of pain and panic in addition to agonized screams.

He wanted to peek to see what was going on but the fear wouldn't let him. The screams started to move away again towards one of the sewage entrances and this time, Bill had the courage to peek.

He saw a figure of a man (at least it looked like a man) dragging an unknown body, the screams were undoubtedly feminine, so he was probably dragging a woman.

Bill was so shocked that he almost forgot to breathe.

The glow that the moon reflected finally allowed Bill to recognize the man.

_God ... It was Robert Gray ..._


	2. Chapter I "Two Rabbits and One Hunter"

Bill took a few minutes to compose himself when he saw Robert drag the body to one of the sewage entrances and disappear into the dark.

"Damn it! Richie was right ..."

If Robert was really a murderer, that means that he was certainly the one who kil ... No, he doesn't want to think about it, he felt his eyes water just thinking about that possibility ...

He was at Dorsey's party, right? It was the greatest certainty Bill had ever had in his life.

Good heavens, he had to tell the police.

"No, without physical evidence it will be impossible to believe."

He looked again at the sewer entrance, for the time being it was safe to go home.

Bill ran as fast as possible to where he left his bike and pedaled home.

Robert Gray was a real killer ... He had to prove it as soon as possible.

He did not sleep that night.

ONE YEAR, THREE MONTHS AND EIGHT DAYS LATER

The brat son of a bitch still had the audacity to TRY to escape.

Robert laughed as he got up from the floor, not caring about the cut on his forehead.

Blood ran down Bobby's face and he snarled at that.

The brat managed to make Bobby bleed. Oh, Bobby was furious with Billy. The brat will regret getting Robert to bleed.

Bill Denbrough will regret the day he challenged Robert Gray ... It will be the last time Bill Denbrough will have the courage to challenge Bobby.

But this time Robert is going to break Bill very well, until there's nothing about that hard shell that Bill still manages to keep.

Oh, Bobby is going to break Billy, even if he has to tear every red hair out of the brat's hair.

Enraged, he walked with quick, furious steps to his black Bentley. He looked down the street and saw Billy running desperately.

Robert laughs sadistically at the boy's naivete.

Robert smiled even more when he saw Bill look over his shoulder and widen his eyes in pure panic.

How he missed seeing Billy in fear ... He hadn't seen Billy in fear since he threatened to kill one more of the losers if the boy didn't cut the meat.

The boy tried to run faster but just fumbled and almost fell, Robert accelerated the car a little to corner Billy.

Robert stops the car smiling and wanting to play a little with Billy.

Billy stops running, panicking, looks at Robert in defiance and rage, trying his best to hide his fear.

Bill turned too fast to run again and ended up falling and Bob just laughed getting out of the car and approaching the boy lying on the floor, moaning in pain.

"Poor Billy Boy. So naive, poor little boy." 

Bill turned slowly, still sitting on the floor, and took a few steps back before Robert pushed the rest of his body back to the floor with just one foot.

The man's heavy foot stomped on one of the boy's cheeks, keeping his head practically glued to the floor.

Bill sobbed in pain, starting to cry.

He was so close to freedom, it only took a few more seconds to reach a street with plenty of houses to help him.

"I thought you lost that foolish courage when I killed Eddie Bear or Stanny boy ... Or Benny ..." 

Bill wept even more just to remember what Robert did to three of his friends.

"Oh, don't cry, Billy Boy, Bobby will take care of you." Robert speaks sarcastically, moving his foot from the cheek to the brat's chest, keeping Bill firm on the floor.

Bill's hands moved to try to get Robert's foot off his chest, all to no avail, of course.

" Bobby may bring Billy a present. Bevy, maybe ... Or Richie ... Or ... OH, I KNOW. Mikey is perhaps the best. Oh, yes, Billy would be very happy if he saw his little boyfriend one last time, wouldn't you, Billy boy?" 

Bill let out another sob of pain and sadness that made Robert laugh.

" You're just an idiot fool, Billy."

Robert watched with insane glee as Bill whimpered under his feet.

Just kill me, po-po-please. Bill stammered, unable to bear Robert's humiliation.

Robert would kill one more of his friends and all because he had the bad idea of running away just because Robert was distracted for two seconds.

"Oh, no, Billy, I would have killed you a long time ago if I wanted to. I like to see you humiliated, panicked, crying for mom." 

"Yo-yo-you are a mo-mon-monster. Yo-you wi-will no-not go-going to be able to win ..." 

The corner of Robert's mouth quivered a little at the brat's insolence.

Robert takes his foot off the boy's chest and grabs a handful of the boy's red hair tightly, making Bill cry out in pain, trying to push Robert's hands away without success.

" No, William, I already won ..." 

Robert hit Bill's head on the pavement hard enough to knock the boy unconscious.

Robert dragged Billy over to the car and felt a third presence, looked ahead and saw a little boy approaching.

Bobby licked his lips, hungry.

Checkmate! Two rabbits on the same day with virtually no effort.

He put Bill's unconscious body inside the car and slowly approached the little boy.

"Hi!" Robert greeted with false sympathy.

"Hi..." 

"Alone, little boy?" 

The little boy looked from Robert to the car and from the car back to Robert, nodding.

"What happened to Georgie's brother?" the little boy asks looking at the car again.

"Oh, do you know Billy and Georgie?" 

The little boy nodded again.

"Me too, maybe we should be friends ... I'm Robert Gray and you, kid?" 

The little boy still a little shy replied.

"Dorsey, Dorsey Corcoran." 

"Dorsey, I'm making Billy a surprise, did you know? He can't see the surprise, but you won't tell him either, can you?" 

Robert said with false innocence, but that brought out an animated smile from the little boy.

"No, I'm not going. What is the surprise? What is the surprise?" 

Dorsey asked very excitedly.

"Georgie is at my house." 

Dorsey's eyes widen.

"Georgie been at your house all this time?" 

"Oh, yes, Dorsey. He was very happy to discover that my house has a lot of sweets and we have been preparing this surprise for Billy for months. Do you want to help me and Georgie prepare the surprise while Billy is sleeping?" 

Dorsey nodded happily and Robert reached for the little boy.

" So, let's go to my house ..."

ONE YEAR, THREE MONTHS AND FIVE DAYS BEFORE

It took Bill three days to tell someone about what he saw.

Mike, of course, was the first to notice that something was wrong with Bill, he just didn't know exactly what.

Mike was afraid that the problem was him, that Bill might be ashamed of what happened in the Barrens.

It didn't take long for him to realize that it was nothing like that.

Bill continued to talk to him trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, but he always gave Mike a hidden peck to prove that the problem was not them but something else.

They were in the losers' clubhouse alone.

The losers practically never went there again, all because Richie, Mike, Ben and Stan hit their heads on the low roof of the clubhouse.

Eddie and Bill were able to walk normally, except for some parts where Eddie hit his forehead and Bill with the top of his head.

Bev was the only one who had no problems with walking around the clubhouse.

Anyway, losers rarely go there, only when it rains and they don't feel like spending money anywhere, like the arcade, Aladdin or in a cafeteria.

However, Mike is willing to sacrifice his head just to be with Bill out of anyone's eye.

That afternoon, Bill, sitting on Mike's lap, was too thoughtful from one moment to the next and Mike frowned to try to understand what was happening.

"What's up, baby boy?" Mike whispers and not even Bill listens, perhaps because he is distracted.

"Hey ..." Mike calls softly kissing the redhead's neck and tickling his nose on the neck. 

Finally, there was a reaction, Bill laughed and shivered a little with goosebumps. 

"What's up with you, Billy?" 

Bill smiles trying to show that everything is fine.

"N-nothing, Mikey, I was just distracted." 

Mike pinches Bill's nose gently. 

"Liar." 

Bill snorts and hides his face in the curve of Mike's neck.

"I s-saw s-something that I don't w-would like to see again." 

Mike moves so he can look at Bill's face, an expression of panic mirrored on the shorter boy's pale face.

Mike rubbed his thumb over Bill's cheek to try to calm him down. Bill takes a few deep breaths before speaking again. 

" I saw ... Ro-Rob-Robert Gray dragging a gi-girl t-t-to the sewers." 

Mike, in shock, gently squeezes Bill's waist trying to comfort him. 

"Are you sure about that?" 

Bill nods, looking down. Mike sighs. 

"The girl must be Betty Ripsom. She disappeared three days ago." 

The redhead still looking at the floor, frowns thoughtfully.

"Sho-should we tell the others?" 

Mike thinks for a while, resting his forehead against Bill's shoulder.

"I think so, it will be the best, but today we will just rest. Today you are not going home, you are coming with me. I don't want you to walk around alone, okay?" 

Bill settles in and the two go to Hanlon Farm. 

Robert Gray whistled as he walked unhurriedly to Neibolt Street. 

A sick smile occupied the man's face. 

Robert loved living in Derry. It wasn't a pretty or modern city at all, quite old-fashioned even, but he loved living in that city. 

Although it was small and old-fashioned, the people of Derry were not interested in caring about other people's lives. 

They were ignorant. 

The people literally turned their faces when they discovered that one more child was missing. 

They forgot the missing children the next day and that pleased Robert. 

All that ignorance, it pleased Robert. Especially because he was to blame for all these disappearances. 

The only "stone in the shoe" that Robert found in his path so far was William Denbrough. 

The stuttering boy in town. 

Robert remembers Georgie Denbrough, William's little brother.

Oh, Bobby remembered Georgie's bright, cheerful brown eyes quickly becoming covered in a haze of fear. 

" 'Hey, Georgie. You want a balloon?' Robert, dressed as his character, Pennywise, the dancing clown asked the 10-year-old.

Georgie made a face. He wasn't old enough for balloons, he wasn't even old enough for clowns, let alone balloons. Georgie felt bad for his best friend, Dorsey, because his mother and the younger Corcoran boy's stepfather thought he was still old enough for clowns. 

Poor Dorsey, he felt ashamed of it but Georgie understood. 

However, Georgie also didn't want to be rude with the man dressed as a clown who only wanted to make money entertaining children. 

Modest work, Georgie thought. 

Bill had taught him not to be rude to anyone, his parents taught him that too but he only listened to Bill. 

Oh, Bill was his hero. He was always there when Georgie needed him. 

Georgie liked to compare Bill to a knight in silver armor with a white horse. 

Georgie thought no one could stop Bill, that Bill was invincible. 

He thought Bill was free... 

Free to do whatever he wanted, because Bill was strong enough to make anything possible. 

Bill was free like the autumn leaves that flew with the wind, by the way, Bill's hair was exactly the same shade of some leaves that Georgie had seen flying. 

So Georgie wouldn't disappoint his hero. 

'No, thank you very much.' 

Georgie was about to turn his back when the clown spoke. 

'Oh, so Pennywise already knows what you want... Oh. Sweets. Oh, yes, Georgie, I have lots of candy for you.' 

Georgie smiled at the clown just with the word 'candy' . 

'Can I give it to my brother Bill too?' 

'Of course you can, Georgie. Oh. I would love to give candy to Billy too.' 

Ingenuously, Georgie held the clown's hand and followed him to the Neibolt house where Georgie screamed to death..."

Screamed for Billy, actually.

Bill Denbrough is the only one still trying to do justice for the missing children. 

Honestly, on his own, he's done more than the city cops. 

He's found children's belongings that Robert took, like dolls or some clothes. 

He found one of Robert's bloody knives and found some blood pools in places like the intersection near Neibolt Street or the kissing bridge. 

However, nothing more than that, which makes Robert ignore his "stone in the shoe". 

Robert saw him, a few days ago, in town. Billy bumped into Robert. 

Bobby usually uses an unpleasant and arrogant expression for nobody to meddle in his life, it was almost not necessary, but, all the care is little. 

Bill Denbrough stuttered some apology. 

Fucking brat. Bobby just hopes the fucking brat doesn't become a rock in his shoe, because then he'll be uncomfortable and Robert will have to take drastic measures. 

Robert smiled even more with that thought. Is Billy's meat as good as Georgie's? 

Bobby loved tasting Georgie's tender flesh, and that thought made him drool and walk faster and enter the Neibolt house. 

Betty Ripsom, his last victim, was locked in the basement, she was already missing an arm and a leg and Robert is sure that the girl has already died from blood loss. 

Oh, patience... Robert can no longer hear screams today...


	3. Chapter II "Run, Dorsey, Run"

Bill and Mike are welcomed by Leroy, Mike's grandfather, who was very happy when he saw his grandson's "friend". 

"Hi, William. How are you, boy?" 

Bill responds warmly to Leroy and the older man goes to prepare dinner while the boys go up to Mike's room and watch a movie. 

After a quiet but warm dinner, the boys go back to their room. 

Bill was lying with his head resting on Mike's chest. 

The brunette stroked the redhead's face and hair, massaging the scalp from time to time.

"D-did h-he see me? "

Bill asks vaguely, his eyes not focusing on anything specific. 

Mike sighed. 

He doesn't know the answer, he hopes not, of course however, he really believes that Bill was not seen. 

Not by Robert, at least. 

The next morning, the two went to the city library. All because Eddie and Ben had a work together to deliver.

Richie complained when he found out he was going to spend the entire day at the city library.

Ben and Eddie were further away to do the work , Stan peeked and helped a few times but always came back to the table with Bev, Richie, Bill and Mike. 

Bill and Mike just hope that none of their friends noticed the difference in their relationship. It's not that they don't trust their friends but they are still a little ashamed about it ... About them ... 

Bev and Richie played with each other, often being scolded by Stan. 

Mike looked at Bill, two hours after entering the library.

Bill waved his hands nervously in his lap.

"You will have to tell, Bill ..." 

"I-I kn-know, Mikey bu-but I'm s-still no-not re-ready ..." 

"I know, I know, but I'm here to help you." 

Mike discreetly rubs Bill's thigh with one hand.

Bev and Richie look at each other confused because they don't understand anything about Mike and Bill's conversation.

"Bill ... Please ..." Mike asked. 

Bill sighs. 

"I help you, don't worry. I'm here, as always." 

Mike smiled trying to calm Bill, still stroking the redhead's leg. 

This went unnoticed by Richie, Bev, Eddie and Ben but Stan looked at the place where Mike had his hand and smiled when Bill noticed that someone was looking at them.

The redhead blushed but Stan chuckled and winked. 

"Guys, Bill has something to tell you ..." 

Mike starts and Bill looks indignant and wide-eyed at him.

"Mike! No, please ... Not yet ..." 

Mike shook his head.

"Too late, Big Bill, I'm already curious ..." 

Richie says resting his head on Bev's shoulder while she played with his black curls. 

Ben and Eddie stop doing the work and look at Richie, Bill, Bev and Mike's table. 

Stan stops looking for a book on the shelf to turn his attention back to the group leader.

"I-I saw Be-Betty Ri-Ripsom on the night that she disappeared ..." 

Richie raises his head from Bev's shoulder, straightening up in his chair.

Bev seems to be even more curious, and he dragged his chair closer to Bill and took one of his hands. She knew it would be a delicate matter. 

Eddie starts muttering something like "oh no, oh no, this is not going to be good, this is not going to be any good". 

Stan leans against the bookcase, crossing his arms. 

"I-I saw ... Robert Gray. He is to blame for all disappearances." 

Eddie breathed in quite quickly, picking up his inhaler.

Ben went very pale. 

Stan's eyes widened. 

Bev gasped and shook Bill's hand even more.

Richie was silent for a few seconds before shouting.

" I WARNED YOU , FUCK. OH, SHIT, BILL, I TOLD YOU. DO YOU KNOW THE RISK YOU ARE TAKING? HE SEEN YOU? SHIT, BILL, I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ANOTHER DEA..." 

"RICHIE!" 

Bev shouted to shut up Tozier but Richie continued. 

"IT'S THE TRUTH, BEV. ALL THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED ARE DEAD." 

The librarian came and kicked them out because they were screaming and they left normally.

Richie being practically dragged by Stan and Ben because Richie was kicking everything. 

"He didn't see Bill ..." 

Mike assured him as he walked with his arm around Bill's shoulders. 

"WHAT IF IT'S A GANG , MIKE?" 

Richie shouted again. 

"SHIT, DON'T YOU READ, MIKE?" 

"Mike ?! Richie is right. Usually it’s never just one person, they’re always more. They kidnap ... And they rape ..." 

Eddie speaks very softly. 

Ben and Stan wince.

Bev's face grew even darker, lost in thought ... or memories ... 

Richie's angry features soften into a worried face.

Mike squeezes Bill's shoulders. 

" If someone ha-had se-seen, probably I ... I wouldn't be here anymore ..." 

The losers look at him quickly. 

"Bill!" Mike scolds. 

"What's it? It's tru-truth ..." 

Richie crosses his arms and looks at the floor.

"He is right ..." 

Everyone is silent for a while until Stan decides to break the silence. 

"And now? Do we tell the police?" 

Bill shakes his head. 

"No, without proof, at least. 

Bev is almost sure where Bill wants to go but decides to ask. 

" What do you suggest? "

" Investigate, of course and get evidence."

Bill answers without stuttering. 

" Are you crazy? "Richie asks. 

" N-no, Ri-Richie. If nobody does anything, people will continue to disappear ..."

Nobody protested that, he was right ... 

" Another subject ... Bill will be older in 4 days ... How do you plan to celebrate? "

Ben asks and all the losers sigh relieved at the change of topic except Bill who is more interested in something else or someone ...  
_______

Robert needed to buy some basic things for home. 

He had two. The Neibolt house he inherited from a dead relative. He only uses Neibolt to "store the meat". 

And he also had a small house to himself.

He passed the city library and saw a group of teenagers. He almost ignored their presence if he didn't feel like he was being watched. 

William Denbrough. "The stone in the shoe".

For just a fraction of a second, the eyes met and Robert found it very strange when the boy simply looked away with strange behavior. 

Robert would have ignored this strange behavior if he did not recognize two feelings reflected in the boy's eyes. 

Anger and hate.

ONE YEAR, THREE MONTHS AND FOUR DAYS LATER

Bill gradually regained consciousness. 

He groans in pain when he feels a huge headache and feels sick. When his eyes focus on the environment around him, he feels sad and afraid, very afraid.

Sadness because he was unable to escape. He was so close ... but he couldn't. 

Shit, how could I be so stupid?

Fear because he was sure that Robert would not let go of what happened, not so easily. 

He notices that he's in his usual stinky room, with his ankle attached to the chain again.

Looking around the second thing he notices and hears is a person wrapped in a ball crying. 

Bill notices the lack of an arm and the blood staining everything around him. 

"Hey!" he calls as affectionately as possible, in a low tone so the person does not get scared.

The person looks up and Bill automatically recognizes it.

"Dorsey Corcoran ?!" 

'Oh, no. This is not a good thing. This is not a good thing.' 

"Dorsey, what are yo-you do-doing here?" 

The boy sniffles and approaches Bill when he signals for him to approach. 

"Mr. Gray. He told me he had sweets and that Georgie was with him.He deceived me." 

Bill feels bad for Dorsey, it's probably his fault that Dorsey was here. Shit, he doesn't want another Ben or another Eddie or another Stan or another Betty or another Victoria ... Or another Georgie ...

" Dorsey ... You will have to run. I gi-give you a way r-run." 

The boy sniffed again and nodded. He had to think of a way to get Dorsey out of there before Robert comes back.

While Bill was thinking about a plan, the door was unlocked and Robert appears smiling like he is crazy.

Dorsey tried to cringe as much as possible. Robert passed Dorsey's eyes to Bill.

Bill was on his feet, his body turned toward Dorsey while his head was turned to Robert with fear on his face.

" Hi, Billy. Did you sleep well?" 

Bill completely turns to Robert as the man leans against the doorframe. 

The older man watches with insane joy as Billy steps back to where Dorsey is curled up, pulling the little boy behind his slender, lean body. 

Bill did not answer and it angered Robert. 

"I asked if you slept well, little buddy ..." 

He tries to look as irritated as possible but Bill managed to detect the HUGE fury that Robert was trying to hide.

However, Bill has not yet given up on saving Dorsey and was prepared to deal with the consequences of that. 

He. Only. Have .To .Save. Dorsey. 

Robert starts to approach and Bill clenches his fists, his nails digging into his skin. 

"Aren't you going to answer, Billy?" 

Robert stops again taking a knife out of his pants pocket.

The blade, Bill noticed, was the size of your hand and ... It was streaked with fresh blood.

Was it Dorsey? Good heavens, Bill hopes so, that it is Dorsey's and that Robert did not kill another child while Bill was still unconscious. 

Bill looks back at Robert, who is still waiting for his answer and playing with the knife. Just to provoke Bill.

Bill growls.

"Fuck you, G-Gray." 

The corner of Robert's mouth trembles a little and the half-mocking, half-angry expression changes to completely irritated. 

Robert grabs and pulls one of Bill's arms causing the youngest to move away from Dorsey. Bill looks over Robert's shoulder and notices that the door is open.

"You didn't understand your place, aren't you ... Billy ..." 

Robert speaks the boy's name slowly, another provocation typical of Robert Gray. 

Bill swallows and tries not to scream when he feels the cold blade against the skin of his arm. 

A shiver ran down his spine when Robert sank the blade. Bill bites his lip to prevent a scream, blood runs down his arm to the floor.

A scarlet lake begins to form and Bill is grateful that Dorsey cannot see because he is clinging to Bill's leg with his face hidden in Bill's slender body. 

Robert smiles even more at the sight of his captive's arm.

Bill swallows again and screams.

-DORSEY, RUN!

It took Dorsey only two seconds to reason out the sentence and he runs.

"YOU LIT... AHHH..." Robert yells at Bill when he bites Robert's hand hard. 

Robert drops the knife on the floor, which Bill uses to push his foot under the rotten mattress.

Robert easily grabs Bill by pulling him away from the arm he was biting.

Bill smiled when he saw a thin trickle of blood run down Robert's arm. Robert punches Bill in the face making him fall to the ground dizzy from the impact. 

"I'll see you later ..." 

Robert speaks as Bill rolls onto his back and groans in pain. 

Bill grabs the knife that Robert dropped and hid in his pants, trying to recover while still on the floor. 

Dorsey runs astray through the abandoned house and Robert manages to catch the little boy easily. Dorsey struggles in Robert's arms screaming.

Bill was still on the floor, trying to get up unsuccessfully. 

"Look, Billy. Dorsey doesn't know how to run ... What now, Billy? Do we punish him for trying to escape or do we teach him to escape?" 

Bill looked at Robert in confusion. 

"Come on, Billy, I don't have all day, make up your mind ..." 

Robert looked at Bill with the typical insane, psychopathic smile waiting for him to say something. 

Bill cringed when Robert squeezed Dorsey's shoulder for his impatience with Bill, and the boy cried out in pain. 

" O-ok, St-stop wi-with t-that, pl-please. I choose to teach him how to run." Robert left Dorsey smiling even more, if that is possible and Dorsey runs again.

Robert looks at Dorsey amused and then at Bill.

Despite all his insane joy, Bill could still see anger hidden in Gray's eyes.

Gray bends to remove the chain from Bill's ankle and then smiles at him, standing up.

"Your turn, little buddy. You also don't know how to escape very well, you also have to learn ..." 

Bill still confused starts to run after Dorsey, he did not know what Robert planned but he still had the chance to save the little boy"

"I'M COUNTING TO THREE, LITTLE BOYS ... 1 ...." 

Bill runs faster seeing Dorsey trying to open the front door.

"...2..." 

Bill kicks the door but, of course, he doesn't open it. 

"... 3 ... HERE I AM ..." 

Bill grabs Dorsey and runs to the well in the basement. He could already hear Robert's heavy footsteps.

Bill gently pushes Dorsey forward while grabbing a rope to help the boy down.

"It's your only chance, Dorsey ... Don't stop running until you see natural light, and then you scream for help and speak to check this house, please." 

Bill spoke very quickly but Dorsey noticed and nodded while Bill helped Dorsey down the rope.

The next few seconds, Bill was sure that if there is any God, he should hate Bill with all his might ...


	4. Chapter III- The Knife in the hand of an innocent

Oh, God... The universe must hate Bill Denbrough... 

Dorsey looked down the road he still had to walk and then up to Bill and he wide his eyes screaming when he saw Robert behind Bill. 

Bill looked immediately back and was greeted by a Robert with his eyes shining in madness. 

"I've come to you, boys." 

Bill stands firmly between Robert and the well grabbing the stone of the structure so hard that his knuckles have turned white. 

"The joke's over, Billy Boy. I'll play with you later now I have to play with Dorsey." 

Bill moved one hand into his jeans where he hid the knife and pulled the object as discreetly as possible. 

"No!" Bill said firmly by shooting Gray with his eyes. 

"No? Why not, Billy Bo... AHHH, MOTHERFUCKER!" 

As Robert was talking, Bill took the knife and stuck it in Robert's cheek. 

Bill has to admit, he felt good about doing that.

Wait... He just... Did it feel good? 

... Stabbing a person? 

Bill wide his eyes in shock, he hopes he just felt good because it's just Robert. 

Robert staggered back screaming in pain and Dorsey kept coming down. 

Bill looks at the bloody hand. (He doesn't even know if that blood is his or Robert's.)

Bill laughs. 

He's not even sure why but he laughs. He laughs remembering the sensation of the knife blade passing through his fingers as he pulled it out of his trousers. 

The cold of the metal against the warm hands. 

He remembers the sensation he felt when the knife stuck in Robert's cheek. 

Robert looks shocked at him. The knife still stuck in his cheek as blood dripped from the place dirtying everything around him. 

But when Bill stopped laughing, rebuking himself for laughing at such a situation, Robert was the one who started laughing and started clapping. 

"Very well, Billy Boy, very well." 

'... One day you'll be just like me...'

That phrase. That damn phrase echoed in your head.

"I'm proud of you, Billy."

Robert keeps laughing and pulling the knife out of his cheek throwing it anywhere.

-Get. Out. 

Robert's joy was replaced by anger pushing Bill against a pile of old victims' clothes. 

Dorsey had already managed to get down and started running, the sound of his steps against the sewage water would allow Robert to know where the boy had gone. 

He looked at the older boy, who had already got up and Robert pointed to the well. 

"You just made the biggest shit of your miserable life if he escapes." 

Bill showed no emotion, even though he was immersed in pure panic and adrenaline. 

"You... Go ahead..." 

Robert points again to the well looking at Bill with furiously frowned eyebrows. 

Bill cautiously advanced to the well, trying to avoid the other one uselessly, but Robert grabs a handful of hair near the nape of his neck and hits Bill's head again to faint.

The adolescent's body softened and fell gently on the extremely dirty floor of the basement.

Robert smiled, that should do it... 

The man walks down the rope much faster and more skillfully than Dorsey and walks calmly through the dark, stinking corridors of the sewers.

Robert begins to whistle some random melody when he can finally hear Dorsey's hasty steps. 

Dorsey ran nonstop as Bill had indicated but the sewers seemed endless and Dorsey doesn't know how but it was already the third time he had passed that corridor. 

He began to panic even more when he heard the whistle that Dorsey is sure belongs to Robert. 

Dorsey turns a few times to a crossroads, where he simply chooses one randomly. 

Bad idea... 

Dorsey ended up seeing light and almost sighing relief but something prevented him from following into the light. 

A grid. A huge, rusty and more important grid, locked. 

Dorsey shouted in fear and frustration trying to shout in the direction of the day's lizard. 

"HELP ME ! HELP ME! HELP!" 

Dorsey tries to move the lattice by pulling and pushing and gets no results. 

Robert's disgusting laughter echoed in his ears and in the tunnel. 

Dorsey froze completely when he realized that Robert was right behind him. 

"Want to go somewhere, Dorsey?" 

ONE YEAR AND THREE MONTHS EARLIER

Bill's birthday came too quickly. 

His friends were determined to celebrate in the best possible way even though Bill complained about it. 

Mike has not left his side for the last four days. 

Either Bill was sleeping on Hanlon's farm or Mike was sleeping at the Denbrough's house. 

Bill's parents didn't even notice. 

And Mike's grandfather didn't care at all about Bill's visit, in fact, he even liked it. 

Leroy was pretty sure that the surviving Denbrough boy and his grandson were dating but he didn't want to get into it, he would wait until Mike got up the nerve and took on his beautiful relationship with a boy like Bill. 

Leroy would support the couple with all the affection he could give. 

Two days earlier, Stan Uris stopped in Hanlon's Farm to talk to Mike about Bill's birthday. 

Stan was the only one who knew about the two of them, since after what he saw in the library, there was no doubt about it. 

And while he was waiting for Mike he took the opportunity to gossip with Leroy, of course. 

They even made a name for the couple.

The Hanbrough couple, named after Leroy and Stan, although they didn't know the name existed, were planning to assume Bill's 16th birthday. 

The losers' plan was, while they were organizing the party, at Hanlon's farm, Mike would distract Bill any way he wanted. 

And Mike planned a picnic, just for him and Bill. 

Mike took a blindfolded Bill to the picnic site. 

Bill stumbled a few times making Mike laugh. 

"Don't you see where you're going?" Mike talks laughing. 

Bill pretends to laugh, debauchedly and then laughs for real. 

"Very funny, Mikey, I'm laughing my ass off." answers ironically by laughing truly again. 

Mike held Bill's shoulders gently just to keep him from walking. 

"You can take..." 

Bill took off his blindfold, feeling a slight headache from having his eyes invaded by the clarity of the day. 

As soon as the vision adjusted to the natural light, Bill almost screamed hysterically and excitedly when he saw the picnic basket. 

"MIKEY, DID YOU PREPARE THIS FOR ME?" 

Mike laughed at his boyfriend's excitement, passing an arm around the waist of the lowest. 

"Sure, all for my favorite birthday boy. " 

Mike pulls the redhead for a kiss and then Bill lets go of the brunette just to grab two strawberries and put one in Mike's mouth and the second in yours, laughing in Mike's amazement. 

Mike also laughs and both spend the afternoon together, two fools in love. 

On their way back to Hanlon's Farm at dusk, Bill heard a whistle, thought it was his imagination but noticed that Mike also listened because the whistle caught his attention for two seconds before he simply looked at his feet again to see where he stepped. 

"Mikey..." 

Bill practically whispers and points to the figure quite far away from them, a well-known man whistling. 

Mike looks in the pointed direction and almost shakes Bill's hand too hard. 

Robert Gray, whistling, with an axe in his hands. 

He was heading for the sewers again. 

Bill starts to panic and looks beggingly at Mike. 

"Let's get out of here... He's right there, Mikey..." 

Mike makes a sign for Bill to wait and to be silent and moves towards Robert, low and silent. 

"Mikey..." 

Bill follows Mike, cursing at himself. 

"Mike, let's go home, please." 

"Wait a minute, I just want to see what this shit does here." 

Bill growls low, a little angry. 

"Mike, you..." 

Bill automatically shuts up when he sees Robert a little closer, but not close enough to see or hear them. 

"He'll find us..." Bill grumbled so loudly that Mike hardly even heard him. 

Mike rolled his eyes. 

"Be calm, Bill, this is a public place and even at night it's not, we're teenagers, we can pretend we were just about to start a moment of intimacy. 

Bill sowed his eyes, trying to understand how that plan would work. 

" What do you mean, 'almost starting...' Mike?! What are you doing? "

Bill asks while watching Mike lower his jeans. 

"Take off your shirt and undo the jeans." 

Mike asked and Bill fulfilled confused. 

Bill just watched Mike mess up his red hair even more confused and pull it into his lap making him face Mike as the brunette leaned up against the nearest tree without taking his eyes off Robert, practically. 

"Stand still and when I slap your arm you start rolling on my lap." 

Mike asked with a half malicious smile. 

"Mike, this is no time for this kind of thing, I wish I was doing it right now but in this case... " 

Mike shuts him up by putting a finger against the redhead's lips. 

"Shut the fuck up and listen to me. If Robert sees us here at least we already have an excuse to be here." 

Bill stared confused Mike arching his eyebrows with a simple smile. 

"I didn't understand..." 

Mike shakes his head, smiling sideways. 

"Just do what I said and then you realize..." 

Bill settles in.

It was a good fifteen minutes, the sun even lower than before, and the night closer and closer as Mike watched Robert come out of the sewers and wash the axe in the Barrens' water. 

Robert began to climb up the hill and Mike gave Bill a light slap on the arm and Bill, very embarrassed, hid his face in the curve of Mike's neck as he began to roll on his lap. 

Robert noticed the movement and Mike pretended he was looking at Bill. 

From the distance Robert was, he probably couldn't see what was going on, so he got a little closer by squeezing the axe in his hands and going towards Bill and Mike. 

"He's coming, don't stop." Mike whispered half breathlessly as he was starting to get excited. 

Mike made some moaning and sighing sounds making Bill's face even redder and Robert stopped at a distance when he 'realized' what was happening. 

"Something wrong, man?" Mike asked in between moans and Bill looked wide-eyed at Mike and then at Robert.

"None, man, I just thought it was some crazy guy. You never know, especially with all these disappearances... Sorry for the interruption..." Robert speaks with his arms crossed. 

Bill felt a huge urge to vomit for Robert's hypocrisy but stopped grabbing Mike's shirt. 

" No problem, man, it's normal for you to look like that... " Mike responded by stroking Bill's tense back. -" With so many disappearances, you shouldn't trust anyone. And you, what were you doing? I thought you were a psychopath, with an axe and everything. "

Bill almost laughed but controlled himself because of the tension he felt and because Robert looked directly at him for three seconds. 

" Trying to cut wood but I couldn't find a tree that I liked. "

Robert responded simply and Bill squeezed Mike's shirt harder for that blatant lie. 

"I'm sorry to interrupt you guys, I was just worried... And don't come home too late..." 

Mike nodded and thanked the warning while Bill interpreted it as a threat. 

Robert finally walked away and only five minutes later did Mike laugh. 

"What are you laughing at? That was very dangerous, something could have happened to us..." 

Mike keeps laughing, though. 

"I've never seen anyone as hypocritical as that shit... Jesus... At least my plan worked." 

This time Bill laughed too. 

"I understood... Pretending we were practically having sex was a plan..." 

"Finally understood, Hallelujah." Mike laughed even more at his boyfriend's laziness. "I just think I have a problem..." 

Mike points to his own jeans where you could notice an erection. 

"Mike..." Bill slaps Mike on the arm laughing. 

"What? It's not my fault you can roll so well." 

Bill blushes and hides his face back in the curve of Mike's neck. 

"Think of old people... "

Mike didn't understand but he still thought of old people laughing then. 

"You idiot! Argh... You blew it!" 

Bill laughed as he stood up and fixed his clothes. 

"Let's go home, Mike..." 

And then Mike remembered the surprise party. 

"Yes, let's go home..." 

Mike surrounded Bill's shoulders and they both walked to Hanlon's Farm. 

Robert, however, was looking for the next victim, his thoughts flying to the previous meeting with the couple at Barrens. 

He was not homophobic, never in life would he be since he too considers himself part of the LGBTQIA+ community, being an asexual aromantic, so it did not bother him at all that he was a homosexual couple. 

What bothered him was 'the stone in the shoe'. 

In the last few days, Robert has seen William Denbrough too many times beyond his behaviour to change with Robert himself since that day in the market. 

Oh, if Billy learns anything about Robert's secret 'activities' , he will have to get rid of the last living Denbrough heir. 

Robert then noticed a little girl playing alone. 

The sadistic man smiled only at the souvenir of tender meat, seasoned with fear that the children would provide him for dinner. 

Oh yes... Robert will be on a full stomach tonight...

_________


	5. Chapter IV "The gift"

As soon as Bill and Mike arrive at Hanlon Farm, Mike covers Bill's eyes again.

"Mike, if you take me to the mud where the pigs are, I swear I'll kill you."

Mike laughs leading Bill to the barn.

"Okay, you can take it."

Bill quickly unclouds his eyes again seeing the barn quite adorned and Mike's family begins to sing the classical tune and Bill smiles animated and ashamed.

Mike strives not to pull Bill into a kiss in front of the whole family , just smiles at the boyfriend who hugs Mike's family as soon as they finish singing.

Mike seizes Bill's moment of distraction and checks Ben's messages.

_Haystack_

_**Did you make it?** _

_No, Mikey. Neither Zach nor Sharon open the door._

_**Forget it... At least you tried. Come back here.** _

_Okay, Mikey. We'll be there in five minutes._

______________________________________

Mike did not respond, did not think it necessary and walked to Bill.

While Bill and Mike were at the farm starting the celebration, the remaining losers were trying to talk to the Denbrough couple, and I repeat, trying...

Stan had already given up trying, he was simply silent next to Richie, who didn't even try once, because Richie and Eddie more than anyone else knew how Bill's parents treated him since childhood and especially after Georgie's second disappearance.

Stan, Ben, Bev and Mike only knew the story after his disappearance.

And even though he didn't show it, Richie cared about his friends, especially older ones like Eddie, Bill and Stan.

And Stan knows this and knew how Richie was at that moment and ran an arm over the shoulders of the tallest and stayed that way for the next attempts of Eddie and Bev, the only ones still trying to talk to the Denbrough undead mummies, in Richie's wise words of course.

Ben only watched attentively to Mike's messages.

"When will you give up? They won't open, and we shouldn't have tried." Richie grumbles quite loudly with his arm around Stan's shoulders-I'm absolutely sure that if Bill were to disappear, they wouldn't notice.

Ben wides his eyes looking shocked at Richie.

" RICHIE!" Eddie, Stan and Bev shout in shock and anger at Richie's mean remark.

"are you an idiot or do you eat shit?" Stan asks Richie away with an outraged and angry expression. " Insensitive..."

"Come on, people, you can't be so optimistic in a situation like this. You know perfectly well that right now we could be crying over Bill's dead body or looking desperately for him... " Richie feels the tears flood his eyes "I'm just being realistic, not insensitive. At this moment I could be without my best friend and it makes me anguish just to imagine him rotting in some hole while people are telling me to move on but I wouldn't be and I'm not able to move on if Bill was dead, murdered by that motherfucker Gray Don't tell me I'm insensitive, I'm scared and worried about him With all of us, in fact... "

Bev approached the trembling and crying Richie hugging him hard, soon followed by the other three.

" I'm sorry Richie, I know how difficult it is... But it's ok, he's ok, he's on the farm with Mike, safe and sound."

Bev spoke calmly and after calming Richie, they finally gave up trying to talk to Bill's parents, going back to the farm.

Mike saw Ben's message saying they were coming without achieving the goal and pulls Bill away from Leroy closer to the door.

" Mike, Wha-what ar-are..."

Bill couldn't even finish when Ben, Eddie, Bev and Stan came in animatedly shouting :

"Happy birthday, Big Bill!"

The four newcomers hug and wish the birthday boy all the best when Bill notices Richie missing.

"Where's Richie?"

"I'm right here, Billiam."

Richie, contrary to expectations, entered quietly with a simple smile, Bill notices that the smile only serves to hide the sadness that Bill could not imagine the reason to exist.

"Richie..."

Richie almost cried, remembering what he had said to others and embraced Bill.

The redhead didn't complain, he just returned the hug, Richie fighting with himself not to cry again.

"Yo-you're okay?"

Richie rests with his head and Bill kisses Richie's cheek.

It was so good to hug a person that she could be dead.

"Let's make out, Big Bill! Where do you prefer? Bathroom or bedroom?" Richie plays by poking at Bill's cheek who laughed.

Richie practically forced Bill to dance on the improvised dance floor and the party went on happily...

Meanwhile, Robert did not take the couple off his head, and he continued to think about it even as he delighted in the flesh of his last victim seasoned with the fear of the poor child.

He thought of the strange couple, the possible reasons for being there, at that very moment.

And he thought especially about that smell that only one person in Derry has.

The smell of cheap cigarettes, pen ink and new books that only William Denbrough has.

He noticed it when he bumped into him a few days earlier.

It's one of the first things Robert notices about a person is their smell.

He's smelled a lot of people, but that smell, which only Billy has, he's sure of that, made him seasick, as if he disgusted the person who carried the smell.

As if... _There was no fear to season the flesh..._

It was too much of a coincidence, first having bumped into him a few days before, as if it were a greater force drawing Robert's attention to the brat who stinks of cigarettes and books, then that strange look near the library, a look of pure hatred... And finally... That encounter at Barrens...

Shit... How did Robert not realize sooner?

The son of a bitch brat knows...

And apparently his fucking friends too.

_'Oh, yeah... It was time to kill the surviving young Denbrough.'_

But Robert couldn't just act.

He had to think of a perfect plan, he knows it's Billy's birthday that night and it hasn't come to 00:00 yet.

Robert got in his car and drove to Hanlon's farm, he had a present for Billy...

The party gradually emptied only the club of the losers and Leroy, was 20 minutes to 00:00h.

However, Leroy began to feel tired and decided to go to bed, leaving the teenagers alone.

"I don't believe that in a few months we will all be 17..." Eddie murmurs.

Bill was the oldest, born on the fourth day of the year, followed by Beverly, Richie, Mike, Ben, Stan and last Eddie.

They were friends since they were 12/13, except Bill, Stan, Eddie and Richie who were friends the longest.

Beverly didn't comment on anything even though Richie thought the same as her and spoke for her:

"Did you ever think that after this summer holiday we will only have one more year before everyone goes their own way?"

Bev did not answer, there was no need for that, he just looked at the ground embracing his body.

Ben noticed and sat down next to her passing his arm around her waist, comforting Bev.

Stan, who was eating a piece of cake, stopped thinking about Richie's words, not even he knows exactly how, but the images of himself dead in a bathtub blinked suffocatingly in his mind.

Eddie became even more uncomfortable than any of the others, the thought of separating from the group really didn't please him at all, he wasn't ready to grow up.

Mike glanced at everyone, his place was in Derry, he could never get out of town like the others.

Bill just nodded, the only one who really gave Richie an answer.

The truth is he had really thought about it, especially after Georgie disappeared.

Bill doesn't want to leave Derry, not anymore, anyway.

When he was younger, 12 or 13, the thing he wanted most was to get out of Derry, out of that prejudiced grip but after Georgie disappeared, that will also disappeared as well as the will to find Georgie or at least his body came back with full force after the episode with Robert Gray, than he found out about the man who uses clown fantasy to probably attract more victims.

The simple question left an uncomfortable air hovering over them, especially Bill who was overwhelmed by the silence and the reason he would be alone in town.

Ben, Mike, Eddie and Stan will be the people who will have the most opportunities in the future because of their willingness to study and their hard-working intelligence.

Not that he, Richie and Beverly are not smart, on the contrary, they were very smart but lazy.

Bill has been even more sloppy at school after Georgie's disappearance, the teachers even tried to talk to Zach Denbrough, unsuccessfully, of course.

Bill himself knew that the chances of winning a scholarship at a university were very slim, and he was not interested in that.

Everyone else had ideas and big plans for the future, he knew that very well.

He can almost imagine Mike travelling the world, Eddie probably being a doctor, Stan as a successful and well-paid accountant, Ben as an architect, Richie as a comedian and Bev as a stylist.

But he can't imagine himself getting along in the future, he'll probably be more of an alcoholic and a smoker like his father.

He probably won't even live past the age of 30.

He'll be killed like any criminal or simply locked up for life.

He's too impulsive, he knows that, too well...

He was almost arrested a few weeks earlier because he grazed a wall with a huge insult to the town's homophobic and xenophobic sheriff, Oscar Bowers.

Luckily, Stan the man, managed to sort things out and Bill was sentenced to community service.

Not that he was unhappy with the decision, anything is better than being in jail, but he couldn't stand the jokes of Oscar and his son, Henry Bowers.

He even kicked a rubbish bag and broke a broom, but that was it. Luckily...

At least he has a good enough reason to stay in town.

_Robert Gray._

Bill feels he's close to finding something important, some valid proof.

Bill and the rest of the losers have been taken out of their suffocating silence by a knock on the door.

The first to react is Richie who moves towards the door by picking up a broom on the way and moving Bill slightly behind him when the redhead tries to get in front of him.

Bill grumbled something and Richie gave him a hard but specific look.

_'You better stay behind me, you know very well who can be...'_

Mike holds Bill by the arm and pushes him towards Stan and Eddie, the only ones left behind.

Eddie quickly extends his hand to intertwine Bill's fingers and pulls him closer.

Bev and Ben advance just behind Mike and Richie, both with improvised weapons.

Richie opens the door quickly and I don't see anyone just an improvised package with a name written in big black letters: "William Denbrough.

Richie glanced at Mike hoping he wasn't the only one to see it.

" Don't touch that, Richie, it could be dangerous. " Ben comments a little scared.

Stan also came over Mike's shoulder peeking.

" What's that? "

The Jew asks and Mike answers only that he doesn't know by shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

Eddie is practically perched on Bill's shoulders after climbing into a chair.

Kaspbrak wanted to know what was going on but didn't dare come close.

First, he had to hold Bill there and second, he was afraid himself.

"What if it is a bomb?" Eddie squealed too close to Denbrough's ears.

Richie stretched out his leg touching the package with his tiptoe.

The sloppy wrapping rolled over a bit giving the losers a new perspective in his eyes.

A small note was glued to the package and Richie, carefully, took the note.

Richie read it and wide his eyes.

"What is it, Rich?"

Bev asks and Richie without looking at her hands her the note.

Bev reads, and in shock looks from Richie to Bill, just as Tozier himself looked to Denbrough.

Ben and Stan read at almost the same time and Eddie approaches with Bill a bit behind him.

Stan hands the note to Eddie who reads it and panting following the others' gaze at Bill as well.

Mike reads the note and in shock with wide-eyed eyes looks from the note to the package and then to Bill too.

"It's for you..." Mike hands Bill the note very slowly, as if he is afraid of his own gesture.


End file.
